Claims
- 1. A cable assembly for being towed through an environment behind a towing vehicle, said cable assembly comprising:
- a cable of predetermined length;
- protective coating means surrounding the cable and coextensive therewith;
- a plurality of environmental sensors mounted to said protective coating and directly exposed to the environment to sense predetermined parameters in the environment; and
- conductor means embedded in said protective coating and extending along the length thereof to the towing vehicle, each of said environmental sensors being electrically connected thereto.
- 2. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said conductor means includes a separate conductive path for each said sensor.
- 3. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein:
- said conductor means comprises a single conductive path common to said plurality of sensors; and
- said cable assembly includes means for enabling the selection of a single sensor for generating a signal over said conductive path.
- 4. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said conductor means comprises a plurality of conductors positioned in said protective coating in a helical fashion extending along the said cable.
- 5. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said protective coating comprises a continuous coating on said cable and a segmented coating comprising a plurality of spaced outer coating segments thereby to define spaced mounting positions for said sensors.
- 6. A cable assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein each of said sensors is attached to said conductor means at one of said spaced positions.
- 7. A sensor array system for being towed by a ship with analyzing means for responding to signals from a sensor array comprising:
- a tow cable;
- sensor means including an array of sensors attached to said tow cable and electrically coupled to the analyzing means;
- a protective coating surrounding the towing cable over the length thereof;
- conductor means embedded in said protective coating with a termination thereof at the ship; and
- a plurality of thermistors physically attached to said protective coating at spaced locations along the length thereof and directly exposed to the environment, each of said thermistors being electrically connected to other terminations of said conductor means whereby signals from said thermistors are coupled to the ship for analysis of water temperature at each spaced location.
- 8. A sensor array system as recited in claim 7 wherein said conductor means includes a separate conductive path for each of said thermistors.
- 9. A sensor array system as recited in claim 7 wherein:
- said conductor means comprises a single conductive path common to said plurality of thermistors; and
- said towed array includes means for enabling the selection of a single thermistor for generating a signal over said conductive path.
- 10. A sensor array system as recited in claim 7 wherein said conductor means comprise a plurality of conductors positioned in said protective coating in a helical fashion along the length of said towing cable.
- 11. A sensor array system as recited in claim 7 wherein said protective coating comprises a continuous coating on said towing cable and a segmented coating comprising a plurality of spaced coating segments thereby to define a spaced mounting position at each spaced location for each of said thermistors.
- 12. A sensor array system as recited in claim 11 wherein each of said thermistors is attached to said conductor means at one of said spaced mounting positions.
- 13. A sensor array system as recited in claim 12 wherein said conductor means includes a separate conductive path for each thermistor.
- 14. A sensor array system as recited in claim 12 wherein:
- said conductor means comprises a single conductive path common to said plurality of thermistors; and
- said towed array includes means for enabling the selection of a single thermistor for generating a signal over said conductive path.
- 15. A sensor array system as recited in claim 12 additionally comprising a protective band circumscribing each said thermistor and spanning the spaced mounting positions between adjacent ones of said coating segments.
- 16. A sensor array system as recited in claim 15 wherein said conductor means are positioned in said continuous coating along a helical path extending along said towing cable.
- 17. A sensor array system as recited in claim 16 wherein said conductor means includes a separate conductive path for each thermistor.
- 18. A sensor array system as recited in claim 16 wherein:
- said conductor means comprises a single conductive path common to said plurality of thermistors; and
- said towed array includes means for enabling the selection of a single thermistor for generating a signal over said conductive path.
- 19. A sensor array system for being towed by a ship with analyzing means for responding to signals from a sensor array comprising:
- a tow cable;
- sensor means including an array of sensors attached to said tow cable and electrically coupled to the analyzing means;
- a continuous coating surrounding the towing cable over the length thereof;
- a segmented coating comprising a plurality of spaced coating segments defining spaced mounting positions between such segments;
- conductor means embedded in said continuous coating with a termination thereof at the ship;
- a plurality of thermistors attached to said continuous coating at said spaced mounting positions and directly exposed to the environment, each of said thermistors being electrically connected to other terminations of said conductor means whereby signals from said thermistors are coupled to the ship for analysis of water temperature at each spaced location; and
- a protective band positioned at said spaced mounting position over said continuous coating and having apertures formed in said band corresponding to each of said plurality of thermistors for allowing exposure of said thermistor to the environment.
- 20. A sensor array system as in claim 19 wherein said protective band in combination with said segmented coating and said exposed thermistors defines a uniform surface.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
US Referenced Citations (7)